The FA Cup third round is upon us and call it bad luck or a challenge but Arsenal will have to face Manchester United tomorrow. The Gunners will be keen on getting their hands on some silverware this season. The Premier League might be a write-off, considering where Liverpool are and the Carabao Cup is quite difficult, considering that Mikel Arteta’s men will have to overturn a first leg deficit.
That leaves just the FA Cup and the Champions League for Arsenal. The latter could be difficult, considering we have never done it in our history, making tomorrow’s game against Manchester United all the more important. Ruben Amorim’s men will also be taking the game seriously, considering how bad their Premier League season has been.
Thus, a lot is riding on this game and Amorim is likely to put out a strong XI from the options available to him. With all this in mind, here is how we think Manchester United could line-up against Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup.
Amorim to play a strong XI
In goal, Ruben Amorim is likely to stick with Andre Onana, despite this being a cup competition. Atlay Bayindir, despite being a full Turkiye international, doesn’t see much game time at Old Trafford and one wouldn’t expect that to change, especially against Arsenal.
In front of him, the three centre-backs on the night are likely to be Leny Yoro from the right, Harry Maguire through the middle and Lisandro Martinez from the left, with Matthijs de Ligt dropping to the bench. The former will be looking to impress to secure a place in the starting XI.
The wing-backs on the night are likely to be Noussair Mazraoui from the right and Diogo Dalot from the left. The duo are extremely crucial to how Manchester United play and could prove to be a decisive factor against Arsenal.
The midfield could see Casemiro replace Manuel Ugarte in a holding role and paired by Kobbie Mainoo. The duo would complement each other very well. Ahead of them, the three attackers on the night could consist of Bruno Fernandes from the left, Amad Diallo from the right and Rasmus Hojlund leading the line as the number nine on the night.
The only other option would be dropping Bruno into midfield and starting Garnacho at the expense of Mainoo although one would assume that Ruben Amorim will prioritize control over attacking flair in a game against Arsenal. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford is likely to be sidelined yet again, as he continues to sort out his exit.
Arsenal and Mikel Arteta will know that if they perform to their full ability, they should be able to beat Manchester United comfortably but the Red Devils are capable of holding their own, as they showed against Liverpool. Let’s wait and see how this game plays out.
Man United lineup vs Arsenal: Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Lisandro; Mazraoui, Casemiro, Mainoo, Dalot; Bruno, Amad, Rasmus
